Net Neutrality Repeal Looks Likely

**Mazderati** · 11-21-2017, 12:06 PM

The Federal Communications Commission announced on Tuesday that it planned to dismantle landmark regulations that ensure equal access to the internet, clearing the way for companies to charge more and block access to some websites.

The proposal, put forward by the F.C.C. chairman, Ajit Pai, is a sweeping repeal of rules put in place by the Obama administration that prohibited high-speed internet service providers from blocking or slowing down the delivery websites, or charging extra fees for the best quality of streaming and other internet services for their subscribers.

The clear winners from the move would be telecom giants like AT&T and Comcast that have lobbied for years against regulations of broadband and will now have more control over the online experiences of American consumers. The losers could be internet sites that will have to answer telecom firms to get their content in front of consumers. And consumers may see their bills increase for the best quality of internet service.

...

The plan to repeal the 2015 net neutrality rules also reverses a hallmark decision by the agency to declare broadband as a service as essential as phones and electricity, a move that created the legal foundation for the net neutrality rules and underscored the importance of high-speed internet service to the nation.

Article

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 11-21-2017, 12:07 PM

MAGA!

**ichibaneye** · 11-21-2017, 12:08 PM

**pfluffenmeister** · 11-21-2017, 12:11 PM

Lovely.

In the spirit of Citizen's United.

**Mazderati** · 11-21-2017, 12:13 PM

What's the workaround; Google Fiber for those with access? Is a VPN based in a net-neutral country a viable option or is a US-based ISP required to access the VPN, thereby rendering the VPN in a net-neutral country potentially useless?

**ex-powderbroker** · 11-21-2017, 12:22 PM

there’s no workaround, it just allows big media companies to fuck us all in the ass with no lube because they’re jealous of fb’s valuation.

**shroom** · 11-21-2017, 12:22 PM

lol a workaround

**digitaldeath** · 11-21-2017, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mazderati

What's the workaround; Google Fiber for those with access? Is a VPN based in a net-neutral country a viable option or is a US-based ISP required to access the VPN, thereby rendering the VPN in a net-neutral country potentially useless?

mesh networks

**Mazderati** · 11-21-2017, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by ml242

there’s no workaround, it just allows big media companies to fuck us all in the ass with no lube because they’re jealous of fb’s valuation.

Well any fucking will be done by the ISPs if I understand correctly. And if Google opposes net-neutrality repeal, you would hope they would carry on with their ISP service like the repeal never happened. No?

**digitaldeath** · 11-21-2017, 12:33 PM

dont fret

u cant control what u cant control

these companies deserve this

**stuckathuntermtn** · 11-21-2017, 12:43 PM

I don't think people really realize what this means. I mean, most people have no fucking clue what it is, but the people who think they know think this has to do with Netflix or Amazon buffering. Yeah, it has to do with that. There is a clear conflict of interest here for a company like Comcast since they own a majority share of NBC/Universal.

The really big implication is that basically every single business uses some kind of web app. Email, online banking, online bookkeeping, online client trackers, medical/dental/law practice software, etc etc etc. A lot of this is done online. Even Big Box Stores' inventory tracking. This all now has the potential to become more expensive for the business. This could absolutely kill small business in America. You're already paying for internet connection, Quickbooks, maybe Office 365. Maybe hosted Exchange or G Suite (whatever the fuck they call it now. Gmail for your business with your own @domain). You're paying for some kind of inventory tracker, customer tracker, practice management. This could all now become more expensive or slow to a crawl. This would mean it would only be useful or cost effective if you were a large organization that could host all that shit yourself. With the Software as a Service model and some other reasons, it's very cost effective for small, medium, and even some large businesses to move their shit into "the cloud" and it sure seems like most of them have.

An end of Net Neutrality could kill that and all the business that depend on it.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 11-21-2017, 12:47 PM

Oh, and you like it when a tech support guy can remote on to your computer and fix it? Yeah, say by to that.

**Alaskan Rover** · 11-21-2017, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mazderati

Well any fucking will be done by the ISPs if I understand correctly. And if Google opposes net-neutrality repeal, you would hope they would carry on with their ISP service like the repeal never happened. No?

Google opposing the repeal of net neutrality.....that's a laugh!!

**Alaskan Rover** · 11-21-2017, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Oh, and you like it when a tech support guy can remote on to your computer and fix it? Yeah, say by to that.

Fuck....NEVER EVER trust some tech remoting on to your computer. Ever.

**PNWbrit** · 11-21-2017, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

Google opposing the repeal of net neutrality.....that's a laugh!!

The same Google that has already been opposing the over turning of net neutrality?

**sarahmarjorie** · 11-21-2017, 01:13 PM

Highly recommend John Oliver's episode on net neutrality for an in depth look at what is at stake here. Check it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92vuuZt7wak

**Mazderati** · 11-21-2017, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

Google opposing the repeal of net neutrality.....that's a laugh!!

It's not really a question. They're on record opposing a repeal. Same as a bunch of other organizations.

ETA: What Brit said.

**flyandski365** · 11-21-2017, 01:23 PM

Yay, let's end Obamacare for the internet! #MAGA

**digitaldeath** · 11-21-2017, 01:25 PM

look, if the idiots in dc wanna destroy the economy

let them

i have a slew of knives i can trade for warez when it all falls

**Dantheman** · 11-21-2017, 01:43 PM

Relax, people. We're simply handing total control of broadband internet access to America's most hated company in a country that already pays the most in the world for broadband access. What could go wrong?

**Alaskan Rover** · 11-21-2017, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Mazderati

It's not really a question. They're on record opposing a repeal. Same as a bunch of other organizations.

ETA: What Brit said.

Fucking Google has been putting results from paid advertisers at the beginning of search query results for YEARS! The only reason they put "Ad" at the beginning of those results is because I believe they were fucking forced to. You think for minute they would do it otherwise? I'm sorry, but Google is FAR from being our friends...just like Facebook, another huge data miner, is far from being our friends.

**flyandski365** · 11-21-2017, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

Fucking Google has been putting results from paid advertisers at the beginning of search query results for YEARS! The only reason they put "Ad" at the beginning of those results is because I believe they were fucking forced to. You think for minute they would do it otherwise? I'm sorry, but Google is FAR from being our friends...just like Facebook, another huge data miner, is far from being our friends.

You're conflating several different issues here but I'm just going to assume there's someone here that can explain it a lot better than I can.

**PNWbrit** · 11-21-2017, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

Fucking Google has been putting results from paid advertisers at the beginning of search query results for YEARS! The only reason they put "Ad" at the beginning of those results is because I believe they were fucking forced to. You think for minute they would do it otherwise? I'm sorry, but Google is FAR from being our friends...just like Facebook, another huge data miner, is far from being our friends.

You don't have a clue what net neutrality actually is do you?

**mall walker** · 11-21-2017, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

I don't think people really realize what this means. I mean, most people have no fucking clue what it is, but the people who think they know think this has to do with Netflix or Amazon buffering. Yeah, it has to do with that. There is a clear conflict of interest here for a company like Comcast since they own a majority share of NBC/Universal.

The really big implication is that basically every single business uses some kind of web app. Email, online banking, online bookkeeping, online client trackers, medical/dental/law practice software, etc etc etc. A lot of this is done online. Even Big Box Stores' inventory tracking. This all now has the potential to become more expensive for the business. This could absolutely kill small business in America. You're already paying for internet connection, Quickbooks, maybe Office 365. Maybe hosted Exchange or G Suite (whatever the fuck they call it now. Gmail for your business with your own @domain). You're paying for some kind of inventory tracker, customer tracker, practice management. This could all now become more expensive or slow to a crawl. This would mean it would only be useful or cost effective if you were a large organization that could host all that shit yourself. With the Software as a Service model and some other reasons, it's very cost effective for small, medium, and even some large businesses to move their shit into "the cloud" and it sure seems like most of them have.

An end of Net Neutrality could kill that and all the business that depend on it.

this